Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-10-06

hoal, paper plHWhocl Ou TIC Iop |
whirling around furiously in the hot
current of air, and through the bits of
isinglass the baleful CLEAN Of the fire
shone red. After l had taken off hat
and Jacket and sat down in high
backed rocking chair, Uncle Eph be-
gan to tell me all that had happened
in the last three years; but we soon
drifted into talk of the remote past
when Mary and had been wont to
break young steers to the yoke, or try
to, and he related anecdotes of our
FRANKS rs if / must have forgotten
them. 1t seemed to give him pleasure,
and he rambled from one thing to an
other until Miranda, an old colored
woman who had always been old, and
always lived with the Groots, came
into the sitting-room to bring cider
and crullers, and to see the visitor.
She needed no spectacles to recognize
me, but while her eyes were rs sharp
as ever, she had grown SO deaf that all
my attempts to say pleasant things
were efforts made in vain. She trotted
back to the kitchen and l heard her
cracking hickory-nuts. She remem-
bered how fond was of them.
miranda is ageing fast" said Uncle
Eph, land so we all are, except you
and Mary. Mary, she's thinking of
getting married in the spring. but we
don't know how we can spare her.
Did you pick up a sweethe art over
there in Europe?"
l shook my head and he added:
"Well, | guess it is just as good you
didn't. Getting married is q great
risk"
This was remark he had been max
ing for many years, and although he
was of simple, confiding nature,
none of the designing country spinsters
or widows could cajole him out of his
bachelorhood. He seemed perfectly
satisfied to dwell under his brother
roof and spoil his brothers children.
Mary and the rest used to impose upon
him, for he could refuse us nothing,
while Uncle George Groot, who owned
the farm, would sometimes scold us or
box our ears, Uncle Eph yielded to our
most unreasonable demands without a
murmur. He was well-to-do, like all
the family, and the dairy was his spe-
cial care. He would start out before
.daybreak to serve milk to his custom.
ers in town, and return late in the
forenoon, reading the newspaper to thu
music of the jingling empty tin cans
YES" he repeated, getting mar
ried is great risk. l got married my
self just after you went away, hut
hadn't ought to have done it, for was
close on to sixty, and want cut GU
for husband"
"Married!" exclaimed. Nobody
wrote me word about it,"
"Wcll, it want much of marry
but I'll tell you about it before tn
folks come home. George don't tax
the right view of it; George, he don
more'n half know me-he don't un
derstand me at all. Now, it's cur us,
Uncle Eph continued, in a rehectiv
tone, chow there can be a streak in
man that don't show till he gets old
and then all of sudden crops out.
He rose, and taking his pipe from tn
} mantel filled it neatly, pressing tn
tobacco down with his blunt thumb.
81 s'pose, Janet, that you think Tn
good-natered old fellowp"
"Yes, and kind o'given to soft-sav
: der, ehP" l nodded.
"Easy. going and cleverP Well,
amt nothing of the sort. l like to tai
loud, and stomp, and swear, and chuc
plates.
, He stood before me holding mate
until the sulphurous flame caught tn
: wood, picture of a mild, serene, 10y
9 able old man. Because he was stay
Q ing in the house, he wore a gay re
t and yellow dressing-gown and pal
8 of knitted slippers, and white hanC
Q kerchief tied about his neck lent ce
4 tain benign look to his face. After |
had lighted his pipe, he took TEL
c spoonful Of mixture from :, tumble c
t the mantel and then sat down agai
., beside me, saying:
4 "You know the Berrysp'
e "They keep grocery store in Glow,
k street, don't theyP"
d "Yes, old Peter used to keep tn
y store, and when he died his son To-
!, run the business, and he got alon
: iirst-rate till he begun to drink. I'll
}, Berrys live next to the store, and
It was the last place on the milk rout
d SO could stop there while to z,
: with old Mis- Berry and Louisa Mebl
d you've seen Louisa - tall girl - h,
/ curls, wears long earrings. Well,
d used TO get there about breakfast tim
IS and once in awhile I'd eat breakfa
e with the women. and that's how
d started. Louisa she was always aroun
n and she struck one as very pleasal
n and sociable and sensible-and like
to hear her talk-then. And l toe
n our vegetables and butter and eggs
e the store, and when Tom was drur
e I'd oversee the business little. o
IS Mis- Berry was awful weak about Tol
d she excused him as well as she coul
5, said he was sick, and l tell you she fl
le bad when he died; so married Loui
d and went to their house and run Il
Is store. 1t was rel nice on the stal
lie though my folks were mad at me
& fact is, l got married without sellil
Ie George, and he abused Mis- Berry al
g Louisa till l had to give him pref
IS broad hint to hold his tongue. The
3 was considerable GOODNESS betwe
* him and me for a spell, and though
y was right enough in saying it was
l. Tom-fool performance, he didn't re-